1. Union Cabinet gives nod to introduction of Bureau
of Indian Standards Bill, 2015
i. Union Cabinet meeting
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved introduction of Bureau of
Indian Standards Bill, 2015 in coming session of Parliament.
ii. The Bureau will
perform its functions through a Governing Council consisting of President and
other members.
iii.
Mandatory certification regime: Empower government to bring mandatory
certification regime for articles, processes or services which it considers
necessary.
iv. Simplified
conformity assessment schemes: In order to allow ease of doing business, the
bill allows multiple types of simplified assessment schemes. It includes Self
Declaration of Conformity (SDOC) against any standard which will give multiple
simplified options to manufacturers.
v. Mandatory
hallmarking: provisions related to compulsory hallmarking of precious metal
articles. Strengthening penal provisions: It will help for better and effective
compliance of law and enable compounding of offences for violations.
2. Odisha State Co-op Bank launches Bank on Wheels
i. Intervening
directly the Odisha State Co-operative Bank is going to
launch the ‘Bank on Wheels’ to help farmers get loans on their doorstep. Twenty
vans with ATM facility will move around 20 remote and tribal pockets in
Keonjhar, Koraput, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts
for the purpose.
ii. The Centre has
provided Rs 6 crore, at the rate of Rs 30 lakh for each vehicle, to agriculture
department for the scheme under Rashtriya Krishi Bikas Yojana.
iii. Anyone can
withdraw money from the mobile ATMs though the scheme is meant for farmers
3. Union Cabinet approves Solar Power capacity
target to 1 lakh MW under JNNSM by 2022
i. Union Cabinet
approved increasing India’s solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) to 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) by 2022.
ii. 1 Lakh Mega
Watt (MW) target principally will comprise of 40,000 MW from Rooftop and 60,000
MW through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar Power Projects.
iii. After meeting
this ambitious target, India will become one of the largest Green Energy
producers in the world by surpassing several developed countries.
iv. These projects
will help in generation of additional 2000 MW capacity of Grid-connected solar
power projects and create employment of about 12,000 people in rural and urban
areas. It will also help to reduce about 3.41 Million Tonnes (MT) of carbon
emissions into the open environment every year.
4. Union Government decided to increase number of
work days under MGNREGA in drought hit areas
i. The Union
Government on 17 June 2015 decided to increase the number of workdays under
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from 100 days
to 150 days in drought-affected areas of the country.
ii. The decision to
increase the wage days in drought-affected areas was taken as Government is
expecting an increase in demand for wage-based employment due to drought
affecting regular agricultural activities in some places.
iii. Earlier in
February 2014, previous government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the
number of workdays under MNREGA was increased from 100 days to 150 days for
tribal areas who have received land rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
5. CEA-led committee to suggest GST rates, report
likely in two months
i. A committee
headed by the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) will recommend the possible rates of
Goods & Services Tax (GST), slated to be introduced from April 1 next year.
ii. The setting up
of two committees to facilitate implementation of the new indirect tax regime.
The other will be a Steering Committee under the co-chairmanship of the
Additional Secretary in the Revenue Department and Member Secretary, Empowered
Committee of State Finance Ministers.
iii. The CEA-led
committee will recommend possible tax rates under GST that would be consistent
with the present level of revenue collection of the Centre and States.
iv. While making
recommendations, this Committee would take into account expected levels of
growth of economy, different levels of compliance and broadening of tax base
under GST. The Committee would also analyse the sector-wise and State-wise
impact of GST on the economy.
6. ‘Op DOGA’ to secure Yoga Day event
i. Foolproof
security arrangements made at the venue of the International Yoga Day event on
Rajpath this weekend have been dubbed ‘Operation DOGA’ – a combination of the
words, dog and Yoga - in line with the magnitude of the deployment of security
dogs for the purpose.
ii. As the venue
around India Gate-Rajpath will be visited by close to 40,000 people, including
Prime Minister Narendra Modi this Sunday, its peripheries and core areas have
already been handed over for security checks to an undisclosed number of canine
troops.
iii. The ITBP,
nominated as the national ‘centre for excellence’ for sniffer and police dogs
training, has put on job a special breed of Belgian Shepherd, ‘Malinois’, who
gained prominence across the world after they reportedly participated in the
strike of the U.S. Navy SEAL commandos on Al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden.
7. Beno Zephine becomes first 100% blind officer in
IFS
i. The 25-year-old
from Chennai was informed by the external affairs ministry on Friday that she
has been inducted into the Indian Foreign Service, the first 100 per cent
visually-challenged person to gain entry into the 69-year-old service.
ii. Former
diplomats have hailed the decision to allow 100 per cent visually challenged
people into the service.
iii. She was
working as a probationary officer for state bank of India.